ECOTY: THE RECKONING

The scores are (finally) in. Let the countdown to the 2020 winner commence!

What? You want to skip straight to the results to find out which Porsche won? You’re only cheating yourself, you know… Ok then, here’s the page number. Just don’t tweet the finishing order and spoil it for everyone else, will you? That wouldn’t be cool

fluidity of a Golf GTI when you want to knock the pace back and the feral enthusiasm of the Yaris when you grab it by the scruff and fling it down the road.

And at all times you’re revelling in that sublime gearshift, the mechanical precision of the throttle and the linear responses of the steering. We all agreed that as front-drive hot hatches go, no one does it better.

Jethro was a big fan: ‘The dazzling agility and control of the Type R really highlighted why the Yaris doesn’t quite work for me.’ So too Henry, who added: ‘The little tweaks over the pre-facelift model seem to have elevated it to a sweet spot that now makes it hard to fault.’ Henry and Jethro both scored it higher than the Yaris, John had it on a par with the F8 and 765LT.

5th FERRARI F8 TRIBUTO

‘There are moments of magic in the Ferrari… The way it lets you drive it down a road that means you get out thinking it is the best car in this test.’ Henry’s sentiment could have been applied to any of our eight finalists, but it feels a fitting remark for the wonderful F8. And it is wonderful.

It bristles with the character that is lacking in the 488 Pista and has the performance to match the McLaren, albeit delivered in a more cultured way. The edginess of its optional Michelin Cup 2 tyres lost it a point or two from all the judges and the carbonceramic brakes proved hard to modulate, and while it matches the 765LT for punch, its V8 lacks a voice.

As Jethro pointed out: ‘On the right road and in the right conditions, the F8 is genuinely brilliant. However, the instant steering response, abundance of torque and the rather sharp edges of the Cup 2 tyres don’t quite deliver in Scotland.’ From Dickie there was admiration for Ferrari’s approach to modern supercars: ‘They understand how to build a state-of-the-art mid-engined supercar like Rolex understands watchmaking.’

4th TOYOTA GR YARIS

A Toyota in eCoty is a rare occurrence. The GR Yaris is only the third time the world’s biggest car manufacturer has been represented. And what a way to mark your return.

The pressure was on for the Yaris. It was built to a homologation brief and has a specification that is hard to fault, and as John pointed out: ‘This is exactly the sort of car we were advocating, and it really does deliver.’ It certainly did.

Dickie was desperate for it to be a cracker and wasn’t disappointed: ‘I honestly didn’t expect it to be so complete or so much fun.’ While Adam was equally impressed as early as his first drive at Anglesey: ‘In the Yaris it’s not just about getting the turn in, it’s what happens through the corner and on the exit. The traction is awesome. It’s a really appealing little car.’

Henry and Jethro had more measured views, both looking for Mitsubishi Evo character rather than the Subaru Impreza DNA many of us felt the Yaris had. ‘Why haven’t I fallen so completely for it as some others?’ asked Jethro. ‘I love the size, the toughness, the manual gearbox and the feistiness. I just want to dial up the craziness a little bit.’

Jethro scored it equal last with the Cayman GTS, Henry and John scored it mid-table, while Adam and Dickie placed it in their top three. Me? It was my car of the year, a simply brilliant driver’s car.

3rd LAMBORGHINI HURACÁN EVO RWD

If the GTS was an expected pre-event podium finisher, the reardrive Huracán wasn’t expected to go beyond Anglesey. But eCoty delivers the unexpected, and the Lambo’s performance was certainly that – and a great big slice of excitement no matter what the drive you had in it.

After the disappointment of the Audi R8 RWD, the Huracán was a breath of fresh air. ‘I couldn’t believe how much more convincing the Huracán was. Sharper, more direct, more intense and more immediate, it’s just as you’d hope it would be. The engine is spectacular – like it’s powered by nitroglycerin, not gasoline,’ was Dickie’s summary.

Henry was impressed with the fluidity of its suspension and how it addresses the issues of previously potentially great Lamborghinis in terms of brakes, turn-in and gearbox.

So intoxicating was the Huracán that John placed it top in his scores (alongside the M2), saying: ‘It’s far from flawless but I can forgive it, because there’s such a richness to the experience.’ I thought it drove like it looked: nose down sniffing out the grip, tail a little raised to provide mobility when required, a genuine street fighter you want on your side.

But it was Jethro who was transfixed by the Evo: ‘It’s not an exaggeration to say that paying `3.22 crore for this engine and ’box would be a wholly reasonable thing to do. But – and it’s a big, almost unprecedented but – the rest of the package is properly, no-excuses required brilliant, too. Finally! This thing is absolutely joyous.’

2nd McLAREN 765LT

It wasn’t its looks, or its twin-turbocharged V8’s ability to bend time and spit flames. Nor was it a chassis that’s on top of its game on track and equally at home on the road. No, the talking point for everyone the moment they extricated themselves from the 765LT was its steering. And once its tactility, perfect weighting regardless of speed and how the calm feedback wasn’t impacted by pace had been discussed, only then did the conversation move on to the 765LT’s ability to leave a group of wordsmiths lost for words. Well, words that we can publish in a family magazine.

Jethro tried: ‘Intense, extreme, insane, immoral, unforgettable, absurd… It’s pretty hard to describe it without returning to f***ing mental.’

Yet while it’s far too fast for the road, all agreed that before you even get in it it’s more exciting than anything else here to look at. And then there are the perfect ergonomics, likened to those of a Le Mans racer by John when he found himself travelling back to the hotel at night, caught in the moment of enjoying a great car on an even greater road.

‘I remember literally taking a deep breath before changing down and squeezing the throttle all the way,’ explained a wide-eyed Henry after a drive that nearly saw him place it top of his Christmas list. While Dickie’s head was left in a spin after every drive and confused by some of the mixed reactions the McLaren had received prior to eCoty. Without a doubt, as modern supercars go, the 765LT reigns supreme.

THE CS TAKES THE COMPETITION RECIPE AND THROWS IN THE CHILLIES